Being nice all over the net

I think Permies might unwittingly be making me a better person. The Permies forums gave me the opportunity and safe space to be polite to people without fear of being attacked for showing "weakness", and I've found myself carrying that approach into other online venues. Results so far have been stunning. It seems like most people in other forums are actually yearning for decency but afraid to make the first move. When I resist the urge to respond to an attack with equal or greater rudeness, I find myself perfectly capable of finding some common ground wherein my attacker and I can lower our weapons and, at the very least, mutter something apologetic and/or supportive. More often than not, the response is startlingly friendly, and a 180 degree turn from the initial aggression. This is very encouraging to me and has had a very positive impact on my state of mind. I think it is even spilling over into my offline world in the few occasions when I can legally interact with a human. I really think there is hope for this world.

Thank you to all the behind the scenes people that make this place so enjoyable and to Paul for having the vision for it all.